Hey hey... so New Year's Eve plans have finally been formed!

(This is an open invitation, and please let me know if you're thinking of coming for purposes of hors d'oeuvres.)

Mahjongg at my house! [No set time; feel free to drop by at anytime after dinner.] We will have a few tables going... we (my siblings and I) can even teach you Chinese dominoes if you'd like [did anyone watch Kung Fu: The Legend Continues with David Carradine? =p].

Don't play mahjongg? No problem! We can teach you! Or, you can sample the wide selection of PS / PS2 / DC games from my brothers... and yes, the games include a variety of selections from Dance Dance Revolution! =)

Champagne has already been taken care of. =)

Lastly, to continue my (high school) friends' tradition, after the countdown, we will be going to Golden Griddle... say, 1-1:30?

Golden Griddle: [Markham Road / between Sheppard and Progress]
10 Milner Business Court M1B 3C6
It's at the bottom of the office towers there, so you need to park in the business parking lot.

If you'd like my address, please contact me! Hope to see you here!

[and all together now] Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

Haha, you know what else is inherited? The Yam household does not sleep. Well, it is not uncommon to find the entire household bustling about at 1 a.m. [presumably late?] It was really funny one day when my sister said to me, "What's wrong with us?" As I was watching or playing video games with one of my brothers while my other brother was doing exercises running up and down the stairs with a training kendo sword in his hands. Haha, I suppose you had to be there. =p

I guess it is also not uncommon to find the entire household napping at 6 p.m. in the evening either. =p

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

Merry [belated] Christmas!

It is nice to be back at home, which for me, typically means hanging out with friends. (Work hard and play hard!)

But over the years, it has been increasingly fun to hang out with my family. I don't think I have historically been a very good sister; as a result of my "playing," I was seldomly at home. Having gone away for a couple of summers in high school, and then having gone away for university, I now cherish very much the family time that we have, especially since my sister is away at university, too. So we all look forward to having family dinners... they are hilarious. =P

The latest family functions were a "cousins' get-together" and... Chinese school.

My siblings and I (four of us in total) all went to mandarin class together (private teacher.) Haha... I must admit, story potential had a lot to do with my attendance, but it was fun. =) Oh, our Yam antics... haha, I think some of my craziness is inherited. It's not my fault! =p

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

Three more days, and then...

E&Y Christmas party! Haha...

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

*smother*...*smother*...

How easily I forget...

A bug has been going around DC library; it seems that your nose starts running as soon as you step into the library, although it seems only a few people have caught a full-blown cold... I guess I was one of those few, despites my efforts to smother it with Vitamin C.

Alas, I forgot to add the important element of *rest*, coupled with the essential dependence on God for strength...

Haha, I accomplished a significant achievement on Monday, only significant to other machine-wannabe humans: I studied for pretty much all of the 16 hours I was at DC on Monday, on 2.5 hours of sleep... (no naps!)

Needless to say, I got sick after that, and am now quickly recovering, after having slept *all* day...

The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him;
my father's God, and I will exalt him.
– Exodus 15:2

Bond. James Bond.

Well we thought we'd take a break after Tax on Tuesday, so we watched "Die Another Day."

I *was* impressed with the creativity with the gadgets and toys, as well as with the plotline; I realize it's no easy task to think of new twists to please the masses...

That being said, a lot of the movie was incredible. Too many times did my friends and I mutter, "Oh come *on*! Please!"

Also, the movie was incredibly... punny. [nonstop *rollage* of the eyes]. One would expect *much* better writing from a movie of such calibre... =p

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

I'm still enjoying finals... although I'll see how I am tomorrow when I finish studying for Tax...

Hm.. just a question, does anyone know someone by the name of "Mung-Foo" or "Mum-Foo"? If so, please let me know. =)

I can hardly believe my undergrad is pretty much complete... all right, I have two more exams after Taxation III on Tuesday morning, but those are really not a big deal (thus revealing my relative level of care for those mandatory math courses...). I *am* still motivated to study for them, though; I have never ever had a term when I've slacked off this badly before.

Anyway, it's been a lot of fun. =) When my classmates and I get together (well, the "getting together" part happens pretty much seven days of the week...,) we often look back on this journey and reminisce, although only having begun less than five years ago. It's funny because we talk about the same events every single time, making me think of old (grandfather/grandmother-type) friends with faint memories, not being able to remember what they discussed an hour ago. A very pleasant scene.

The topics recur:

My friends didn't even know I was in accounting until sometime in 2B... somehow, I think we met up in DC (Davs Centre library) and Calculus (oh, Calculus...) brought us together.

2A was *brutal*... and so are accountants... =p

2B was *wonderful*; we *SO* should have taken six courses!!! [sigh]...

3A was terrible, playing "catch-up and midterm" every week, so we again lived in DC in our respective locations. And when we thought 3B couldn't possibly be any worse than 3A, it *was*... a hell-ish term if there was one.

Although not nearly as bad as 3B, we *still* spent all of our time in DC during 4A... out of habit? Perhaps: after all, it's our "home away from home away from home."

The value of education and the current degradation of the post-secondary education system (including the degradation of U of W), being lost to myopic mindsets brought on by the influence of industry and economics, especially with such a program as co-op, which requires that their students be trained for the here-and-now...

I guess tomorrow (technically, today) will be our last full day here, together, studying for the same course in our respective seats in the same row, day after day... it's been fun to "work" together: for class - group assignment and projects - have we exhausted all the permutations and combinations yet?, for DC - who will take the morning shift, and who will take the late shift? =p

Haha, may I present to you, the DC Crew. =p Haha... See you guys in Masters.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

The time has come.

Oh, how I enjoy this time, when one can just study and not think about much other academic burden...

to be able to focus on just one thing at a time... to rest when it is needed... it is so relaxing, indeed...

oh finals, how I love thee...

(haha, yes, i am serious =p)

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.